Charlotte Wells wins first-time feature award for "Aftersun"; Sam Levinson tops TV drama series for "Euphoria"; comedy series honor goes to Bill Hader for "Barry"
By Robert Goldrich
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. --Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert–aka The Daniels–won the marquee feature prize at the 75th Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards on Saturday night (2/18) for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
This makes The Daniels the frontrunner to win the Best Director Oscar. Only eight times in its first 74 years has the DGA Award winner not gone on to win the Oscar. That happened most recently in 2020 when Sam Mendes won the DGA Award for 1917 while Bong Joon Ho scored the Oscar for Parasite.
In his acceptance remarks, Kwan said, “This has been an incredible year for our little film that somehow keeps going.” He profusely thanked Michelle Yeoh for her integral starring role which was a key to the film’s success. Kwan also expressed gratitude to A24 for putting Everything Everywhere on the launchpad.
Scheinert then had but one thank you–for “one of my best friends,” namely Kwan. “Thank you for making our movie braver and so much more vulnerable.”
The Daniels topped a field of feature nominees consisting of: Todd Field for Tár, Joseph Kosinski for Top Gun: Maverick, Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin, and Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans.
(The Daniels are repped by PRETTYBIRD in the commercialmaking/branded content arena.)
The Guild’s other theatrical motion picture award–for a first-time feature director–carried two honors. The award was renamed the Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Director–and its first recipient under that new moniker was Charlotte Wells for Aftersun. Wells was not in attendance to accept the award.
Apted, who passed away in 2021, was honored for his contributions to the Guild which included his serving as its president for three terms, the formation of the DGA’s National Diversity Task Force and teaming with Steven Soderbergh to launch the DGA’s Independent Directors Committee. The latter endeavor had Apted playing a key role in bringing the first-time feature director award to fruition in 2015 (the inaugural honor going to Alex Garland for his 2014 film Ex Machina). Apted’s filmmaking accomplishments were also varied, including a DGA nomination for Coal Miner’s Daughter, and a DGA win for the dramatic primetime series Rome. Apted is also known for his groundbreaking, acclaimed 7 Up series of documentaries.
On the TV front, highlights included Sam Levinson topping the dramatic series category for the “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” episode of Euphoria while Bill Hader won on the comedy series side for the Barry episode “710N.” Hader did not attend the DGA ceremony. Levinson, however, was on hand to accept his honor, visibly emotional as he shared what a privilege it was to be in a room with so many filmmakers whose work he has long admired, “I couldn’t be more grateful for the ability to do this job,” Levinson affirmed.
Helen Shaver won the DGA Award for the “Who’s There?” episode of limited series Station Eleven. Among those she beat out in the movies for TV and limited series category was Jeremy Podeswa whom she called up to join her on stage. Podeswa was nominated for the “Unbroken Circle” episode of Station Eleven. Shaver said she was grateful for the role that trusted colleague, EP and director Podeswa, played in bringing her into the Station Eleven fold.
Earning the DGA Award in the documentary competition was Sara Dosa for Fire of Love which introduces us to French scientists and explorers Katia Krafft and Maurice Krafft, a husband-and-wife team whose pioneering work in volcanoes is akin to what Jacques Cousteau did for oceanography and ecology. The Kraffts broke new ground chronicling volcanoes throughout the world for some 20 years, putting themselves potentially in harm’s way as their cameras captured eruptions and shed light on nature’s dynamics, beauty and power. They witnessed some 140 eruptions globally. Then in 1991 on Mount Unzen in Japan, a pyroclastic flow of gas and volcanic matter claimed the lives of 43 people, including the Kraffts. Dosa said that the Kraffts were in love with each other and volcanoes, advocating for Mother Nature. Their lives had meaning as did their deaths. Fire of Love is nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar.
Topping to commercial directors competition was Kim Gehrig who won on the strength of two Apple spots (see separate story here).
Among the special honors bestowed during the ceremony was the Life Achievement Award to legendary live sports director Robert A. Fishman. First assistant director Mark Hansson received the Directors Guild of America’s Frank Capra Achievement Award for an assistant director or unit production manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the DGA, and stage manager Valdez Flagg accepted the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award for an associate director or stage manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the DGA.
Here’s a category-by-category rundown of the evening’s winners:
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM FOR 2022:
DANIEL KWAN & DANIEL SCHEINERT
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(A24)
Daniels’ Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Allison Rose Carter
First Assistant Director: Rodney Smith
Second Assistant Director: John Nasraway
Second Second Assistant Director: Ken C. Wu
This was Mr. Kwan’s first DGA Award nomination.
This was Mr. Scheinert’s first DGA Award nomination.
MICHAEL APTED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT OF A FIRST-TIME THEATRICAL FEATURE FILM DIRECTOR FOR 2022:
CHARLOTTE WELLS
Aftersun
(A24)
This was Ms. Wells’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMATIC SERIES FOR 2022:
SAM LEVINSON
Euphoria, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird”
(HBO)
Mr. Levinson’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Will Greenfield
First Assistant Directors: Valerie Johnson, Sally Brunski
Second Assistant Directors: Cindy King, Colin Duffy
Second Second Assistant Director: James Chestnut
Additional Second Assistant Director: Aaron Rose Leone
This was Mr. Levinson’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY SERIES FOR 2022:
BILL HADER
Barry, “710N”
(HBO)
Mr. Hader’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Aida Rodgers
First Assistant Director: Gavin Kleintop
Second Assistant Director: Erin Stern Linares
Second Second Assistant Directors: Yarden Levo, Chalis Romero
This was Mr. Hader’s third DGA Award nomination. He previously won in this category in 2018 for Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” and again in 2019 for Barry, “Ronny/Lily.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND LIMITED SERIES FOR 2022:
HELEN SHAVER
Station Eleven, “Who’s There?”
(HBO Max)
Ms. Shaver’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: David Nicksay
First Assistant Director: Jennifer Wilkinson
Second Assistant Director: Anna Vogt
This was Ms. Shaver’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING FOR 2022
LIZ PATRICK
Saturday Night Live, “Host and Musical Guest Jack Harlow”
(NBC)
Ms. Patrick’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Michael Mancini, Michael Poole, Laura Ouziel-Mack
Stage Managers: Gena Rositano, Chris Kelly, Eddie Valk
This was Ms. Patrick’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY/TALK/NEWS/SPORTS – SPECIALS FOR 2022
GLENN WEISS
The 75th Annual Tony Awards
(CBS)
Mr. Weiss’s Directorial Team:
Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Susan Kopensky, Ricky Kirshner
Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Bennymar Almonte, Phyllis Digilio, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Doug Fogel, Jeffry Gitter, Tyler Goldman, Arthur Lewis, Kevin Lishawa, Julie LoRusso, Seth Mellman, Jason Pacella, Jeffrey Pearl, Annette Powlis, Lauren Class Schneider, Eddie Valk
This was Mr. Weiss’s 17th DGA Award nomination. He won the DGA Award in 2007, 2010-2014, 2016 for the 61st, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th and 70th Annual Tony Awards, and in 2017 for The 89th Annual Academy Awards. He was also nominated in the Musical Variety category in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th and 62nd Annual Tony Awards and in 2019 for The 91st Annual Academy Awards and in 2021 for The 43rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Additionally, Mr. Weiss was nominated in 2015 for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series, together with Rob Ashford, for Peter Pan Live!
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY SERIES FOR 2022
BEN SIMMS
Running Wild with Bear Grylls, “Florence Pugh in the Volcanic Rainforests of Costa Rica”
(National Geographic Channel)
Mr. Simms’s Directorial Team:
Associate Director: Sara Brown
This was Mr. Simms’s second DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this same category in 2021 for Running Wild with Bear Grylls, “Gina Carano in the Dolomites.”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS FOR 2022
ANNE RENTON
Best Foot Forward, “Halloween”
(Apple TV+)
Ms. Renton’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Lance W. Lanfear
First Assistant Director: Nandi Bowe
Second Assistant Director: Susie Balaban
Second Second Assistant Director: Tim Neven
This was Ms. Renton’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMMERCIALS FOR 2022
KIM GEHRIG
(Somesuch, Inc.)
–“The Greatest,” Apple — Apple (Direct)
First Assistant Director: Michael Estrella
Second Assistant Director: Brian Steffen
Second Second Assistant Director: Shauna Frontera
–“Run Baby Run,” iPhone — Apple (Direct)
First Assistant Director: Matias Nilsson
Second Assistant Director: Carl Jackson
Second Assistant Director: Michael Paulson
This was Ms. Gehrig’s first DGA Award nomination.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY FOR 2022
SARA DOSA
Fire of Love
(National Geographic Documentary Films)
This was Ms. Dosa’s first DGA Award nomination.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More